Hackers publish thousands of drivers’ data after breaching Florida motor vehicle database

The ShinyHunters hacking group has released a trove of personal data from a Florida state database, comprising hundreds of thousands of files. The group claimed to have accessed the database, known as DAVID, in early September and subsequently published the stolen information on a leak site. They stated that the breach occurred because the database's owner failed to pay a ransom or comply with their demands.

Among the stolen data, a screenshot purporting to be a record of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who resided in Florida, was shared as proof of the intrusion. The Florida Motor Vehicle Agency (FLHSMV) confirmed the data breach in a statement, revealing that they had obtained a police officer's credentials stored on a personal device.

FLHSMV representatives, however, did not provide further comment to TechCrunch regarding the published data.

The stolen data primarily consisted of certificates of vehicle ownership, containing names and addresses of vehicle buyers and sellers, as well as vehicle identification numbers. Additionally, a smaller number of files included sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, non-U.S. passports, and immigration papers. Notably, driver's license databases were not compromised, as the records did not contain driver's licenses or individuals' photographs.

The Florida breach comes at a time when another significant data breach has occurred, where hackers breached the identity verification company IDScan and obtained over 150 million images of driver's licenses.